Low bridges are risking passengers’ heads on new Sydney ferries.

“Bob Your Nod” Andy Constance

Sydney’s newest ferries risk decapitating passengers on low bridges.

By Stephen Coulter, Zipidi Micromobility Insurance & Payments

One of my favourite childhood memories is spending weekends at Point Lonsdale in Victoria with my grandparents. Pop would drive us down the Geelong Road, and as we approached each of the seven bridges, which crossed Melbourne’s first “freeway”, he would say “Bob your Nod”.

“Bob your Nod” so you don’t bump your head on the low bridge!

I was reminded of this when NSW Transport Minister, Andrew Constance, was defending Transport for NSW’s new ferries which are too high for passengers on the upper deck to stay there when the ferry goes under some of the bridges on Sydney’s Parramatta River.

It’s created a media beat up with visions of passengers having their heads knocked off by low bridges!

An exasperated Transport Minister advised “take a chill pill”. This made me think of the inconsistency of Minister Constance’s response comparing “dangerous” ferry rides to electric scooters.

Mr Constance is dead opposed to electric scooters.

In a TV interview in late 2019, he said “Ultimately they’re not going to form any part of the transport solution in our city. They’re a danger to the community, they’re a danger on the roads, they’re dangerous on footpaths, and they’re dangerous generally”

Unfortunately for Sydneysiders and Mr Constance, he is poorly informed and out-of-touch with reality in regards to the facts about electric scooters in 2020. His department recently released a report advising against any approval for private or share electric scooters in NSW. It is one of the poorest reports I have seen written by any government or consultant in 40 years of business.

If Minister Constance and his bureaucrats in TfNSW applied their electric scooter views to other forms of transport, NSW would ban cars, bikes and the new “Bob your Nod” Parramatta ferries!

Let’s look at some facts:

• The new “head butting” Sydney Ferries have ten seats where passenger’s heads are at risk. The capacity is 200, although with social distancing rules, probably more like 100. So that’s a risk to between 10% and 20% of passengers if they fail to move in time.
• A global electric scooter report released in March 2020, Safe Micromobility, by the OECD’s International Transport Forum found:

“A trip by car or by motorcycle in a dense urban area is much more likely to result in the death of a road user — this includes pedestrians — than a trip by an electric scooter. A modal shift from motor vehicles towards electric scooters can thus make a city safer.”

• Safe Micromobioity was not a report written by poorly informed TfNSW bureaucrats. It is a 96-page report from an intergovernmental organisation of 60 countries (including Australia) comprised of road safety, transport, insurance and other experts in relevant fields.
• “The ITF works for transport policies that improve peoples’ lives. Our mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the role of transport in economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusion and to raise the public profile of transport policy.”

Around the world, over 627 cities have scooters available for their citizens to use on a private ownership or shared basis. Through COVID, electric scooters have been found to be a COVID-Safe sustainable form of transport which is in the fresh air and naturally social distances. Increased use of electric scooters and bikes has substituted for higher risk public transport or the unwanted return of air-polluting cars. NSW car use is already back at pre-COVID levels and increasing!

There are now over 2 million car trips in Sydney of less than 2km every day! These could all be made on electric scooters, bikes or by walking.

Despite this, TfNSW uses COVID as a reason NOT to test electric scooters-

“The NSW Government acknowledges that other jurisdictions have fast tracked micro-mobility trials to provide an alternative mode of transport in the context of COVID-19. In light of the evolving pandemic and advice within the e-scooter working group report, the NSW Government does not deem it appropriate to run a trial without the appropriate infrastructure, technology or resources required to ensure compliance”

Perhaps this is because Minister Constance and his bureaucrats have treated electric scooters as a unique unknown form of transport, rather than a vehicle which has much in common with bikes.

The TfNSW report suggested some preposterous rules which would apply if they ever changed their mind on electric scooters. These include:

• Electric scooters should not be allowed on steep hills (Ummm, isn’t this one of the reasons to have electric motors in bikes and scooters?)
• Electric scooter use should be banned from “Sunset to Sunrise” despite them having lights and being used to commute and by overnight shift workers!
• A Car or Motor Bike drivers licence is required despite riders choosing active transport, so they don’t have to learn to drive a car!
• Minimum age of 17 despite children being able to ride bikes and electric bikes as soon as their balance and motor skills permit!

Using Scooter Technology & Rules to Make the new Parramatta Ferries Safer

1. Internet of Things, Cellular, and Geo-Fencing technology should be integrated into all ferries.
2. Bridges should be geofenced as slow speed zones and all ferries controlled by satellite speed limiters when approaching and going under bridges.
3. All top deck passengers must have a Drivers Licence and be at least 17 years of age.
4. Ferry engine power is to be limited to 300W.
5. Ferries will not be allowed to operate at high tide due to increase risks of decapitation of top deck passengers.
6. Ferries must be berthed between Sunset and Sunrise.

Seriously though, going back to my childhood, Dr Seuss had some far more practical advice for Minister Constance than his bureaucrats and their uninformed report:

A logical starting point is to treat scooters as bikes.

Finally, as a transport insurer aware of the real facts and statistics, we would be happy to provide an insurance quote to Minister Constance for his Parramatta Ferries, as we do to electric scooter companies around the world every week. We know the data and the risks and would not provide insurance if the facts are what Minister Constance believes.

Minister Constance, can I suggest you take a dose of your own medicine regarding electric scooters — “Take a chill pill”.